KEEPING YOUR CHILD SAFE AT SCHOOL

The Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

The school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy underpins the school’s robust safeguarding procedures and ensures that all staff and other relevant individuals are aware of them.

The school also has a number of other safeguarding-related policies and procedures that are all there to keep your child safe, including the following:

» Child-on-child Abuse Policy

» Prevent Duty Policy

» Allegations of Abuse Against Staff Policy

» Low-level Safeguarding Concerns Policy

» Online Safety Policy

» Whistleblowing Policy

» Staff Code of Conduct

» Safer Recruitment Policy

You can find a copies of these policies on the school website or you can request copies by contacting the school office on reception@yarrowheights.com.

Following statutory guidance

All schools must follow the government’s guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE). It outlines what all schools must do to keep children safe by providing statutory guidance on the issues such as:

» What staff members must know.

» How to manage safeguarding.

» Safer recruitment.

» Allegations against staff members.

» Child-on-child abuse.

» Online safety.

All our members of staff understand their responsibilities in line with KCSIE and also keep up-to-date with any changes to safeguarding guidance.

Safeguarding training

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. The school ensures that it takes a child centred approach which considers what is in the best interests of the child and where everyone has a role in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

The school ensures that all staff members receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training alongside regular updates to help them acquire the relevant skills and knowledge to effectively safeguard children.

Reporting concerns

All staff members are aware of the warning signs that a child is being abused, exploited or neglected and know what to do if they have a concern or a child makes a disclosure to them. Staff members know how to maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality when dealing with safeguarding concerns which means they will not tell anyone who does not need to know as this may not be in the best interests of the child. Where staff are unsure of how to deal with a safeguarding concern, they will always speak to the DSL or a deputy. Staff members, and especially the DSL, consider whether pupils are at risk of abuse or exploitation and provide targeted support on a case-by-case basis. Targeted support could involve referrals being made to mental health professionals where appropriate to help a pupil access the support they need. They also work with relevant external agencies to implement child protection plans.

The school also has procedures in place to manage any concerns regarding the conduct of staff members, volunteers and contractors working at the school. All concerns and allegations will be taken seriously and managed in line with the school’s robust safeguarding procedures.

DBS checks

Everyone who works and comes into contact with our pupils has gone through the appropriate level of DBS check. The school also has robust procedures in place to maintain a culture of ongoing vigilance to ensure any concerns are identified and dealt with.

Requirements for parents

When visiting the school, we require you to sign in and out at reception and that you wear a visitor lanyard whilst on the premises unless exceptions apply, e.g. when picking your child up from school, or attending a school production. You will not be permitted to move around the school unaccompanied unless you are working with children having undergone an appropriate enhanced DBS check.

The school understands that this can be inconvenient; however, it is deemed essential in ensuring that no unidentified individuals are present on the school site in order to protect the safety of pupils.

We ask that you familiarise yourself with the safeguarding information available on the school website prior to visiting the school.